1. Field of the Invention
The present application relates to poultry watering systems. More specifically, the invention relates to poultry watering systems having a plurality of water feeding nipples arranged in serial depending relation along a water supply tube or conduit, with an associated drip cup and a keeper coupling the cups and an overlying elongated support with a water supply tube.
2. Related Art
Heretofore, poultry watering systems for supplying drinking water to young chicks and the like have been of various structural arrangements, one of the popular types of which is the nipple type poultry water system having a plurality of valved watering nipples with actuating stems depending downwardly from an elongated, usually rectilinear, water supply tube or conduit and arranged serially along the length of the water supply tube at spaced intervals therealong. In some instances, long water supply pipe and nipple arrangements have been provided with additional support such as a support bar or rail to maintain the supply pipe aligned with a straight line, rectilinear horizontal or near-horizontal axis. In such cases, the water supply pipe is usually assembled to the support bar by a series of hanger straps having their lower portions encircling the water pipe and their upper portions secured about the support bar. Sometimes, a shaped plastic-type hanger structure has been provided to be assembled onto the water supply pipe and the support bar. Also, hanger cups have sometimes been provided, supported below each valved nipple and assembled to the water supply pipe only, but not the support bar, by a C-shaped formation extending about one side and lapping over and under vertically-aligned portions of the water supply pipe.